Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the Library’s Headlines blog, which you can also access via email subscription or RSS feed.
Metro fail: Taps for a TAP card (Blogging Los Angeles)
Blogger Will Campbell’s TAP card, purchased in 2009, expires with a balance on it. To say the least, he’s not happy about the fact that the cards expire after three years. Adult language for those easily offended.
Balancing past and present on the 6th Street Bridge (L.A. Streetsblog)
A look at the design advisory committee for the new bridge that will replace the ailing current structure that many consider iconic. My two cents: A handsome new bridge would be nice, but it really doesn’t mean much unless the area around and under looks so disheveled (to say it charitably). On a related note, here’s part one and part two of a good interview Streetblog editor Damien Newton did with L.A. Mayor and Metro Board Member Antonio Villaraigosa.
San Gabriel Valley officials vote to back Measure R extension (San Gabriel Valley Tribune)
The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments voted 19 to 4 last week to back a Measure R extension should it land on the November ballot. They also voted to back a motion by Metro Board Member John Fasana — a Duarte City Councilman — that would allow Measure R highway funds to be more easily transferred to transit projects within a subregion such as the San Gabriel Valley. The Metro Board is expected to consider that motion at a special meeting in early August. In 2008, San Gabriel Valley officials opposed Measure R, although local voters weren’t swayed. Measure R is funding the Gold Line extension to Azusa as well as a future extension of the Gold Line from East Los Angeles to either South El Monte or Whittier.
Using a card instead of juggling coins and bills is nice – and “tapping” the card is also easier than swiping a card (like a credit card). So that part of TAP, I’m cool with. But I’m lucky in that I have a TAP pass from my employer, who did send me an email to let me know my TAP card was expiring and the next time I bought my pass, they would send me a new TAP card (free of charge).
I doubt I would use the TAP as a value-added card – too much of a hassle. If I didn’t ride often enough to justify paying for a pass (whether it be a day, week, monthly, whatever), I probably would just stick to cash. I liked the tokens, actually, especially when they were available at local area grocery stores and were discounted. But it looks like the cash option is going away soon… is that just for the trains? Buses will still take cash?
I’ve still never discovered how one is supposed to use stored value to buy a day pass on a bus. After enough frustrating experiences, I gave up trying. I know the technology is capable because some bus drivers got it to work, but it was clearly not covered in their standardized training. Then my TAP card expired at the end of last month with over $30 on it and I haven’t been on a bus or train since.
I travel all over the world and TAP has to be the worst of them all.
Why does LA have to be so different and fail miserably at it? If they’re different but good at it than that’s no problem. But so many things that Metro does like TAP goes against all the tried-and-true methods that are in place everywhere!
I mean why bother with coming up with bizarre ideas that make no sense? Is there someone in Metro who says “hey, let’s do this because that’s gotta be much better idea than a transit city that’s way better than us” and only to come back with oops that was a bad idea, but too bad we spent so much on it we can’t turn back now.
Sheesh.